[u][b]Steve Miller - The Hull[/b][/u]

"Look", Corrine said, "I don't know anything about synths, other than a bunch of 'em went up to Acadia to live in peace. But..." She sighed. "I agree. Synth or person, we need folks to help stand up for our home, and if there's someone lurkin' about trying to take us out before we get that chance, then...you're right." She then added, "What do we do, though? It's not like I know anythin' about tracking a killer. Longfellow's probably the best hunter in these parts and he made his opinion quite clear back at the Plank. What's next?"

"I know where she's hiding", Steve replied. "Problem is approaching her without her bolting deeper into the fog...or worse, us getting shot....she's terrified out of her wits. She probably isn't much safer where she is, though..given what is coming."

"Oh, right," Corrine mumbled, as she fidgeted around in her coat pocket and produced a pistol, by the look of it a N99. "You asked for a gun, well, here it is." She smiled sheepishly. "I don't know anything about how it works or what to do with it, though."

"I'll help you with it", Steve said as he reached out for it. Corrine placed it in his hand, and he examined it. Sure enough, it was a Colt N99...a 10mm automatic that from the sheer numbers still floating around must have been the most popular handgun in the Old World...the "US PROPERTY" Stamp on the side of the frame marked it as military issue. The finish was somewhat worn, but it didn't look to be in bad shape. He popped the magazine out and palmed it, then tried to rack the slide...but it resisted opening. 

"That's not good", Steve said with a grimace. "Let's go to that shop so I can get a better look at this."

Together, they descended the stairs back to the alley, and Corrine unlocked the old gun shop and they both entered. Steve turned on the light above the weapons workbench and got to work. The internal mechanism seemed gummed up....Steve was concerned by what he would find if he got it apart, if he could, anyway....but after some effort, he finally managed to open the slide, ejecting a unfired cartridge, it's brass case split at the mouth and green with verdigris. He then locked the slide back and flipped the take-down lever and field-stripped the old pistol. Examining the weapon, he learned the difficulty. Someone had chosen to lubricate it with some kind of vegetable oil, and quite some time ago, by the look of it. While vegetable oils seemed like a good lubricant...they weren't as when they dried they leave a residue that gums up the surfaces it was intended to lubricate. Grabbing a cleaning kit from a shelf of the workbench, he cleaned the gummy substance out of the pistol, finding that under the muck it was still in good condition....the vegetable oil had at least preserved it. The bore cleaned up well, once he got the gunk and verdigris out of the chamber. With all major part groups cleaned and properly lubricated, he reassembled the pistol, locked the slide back and placed it on the workbench. Pulling the magazine out of his pocket, he removed the cartridges and placed them on the workbench. He then disassembled the magazine, cleaned it, then reassembled it again. The weapon now cleaned, he picked up the pistol and inserted the empty magazine into the butt, then hit the slide release. The slide leapt forward into battery with a satisfying "Thwack". He then engaged the safety and pulled the trigger...grunting with satisfaction when it did not fire. He then disengaged the safety and pulled the trigger, and the hammer fell as it should. 

"It'll do nicely", Steve said to Corrine with a satisfied air as he began to examine the cartridges that had been loaded in it. Four of them, including the round that had been chambered, were bad....cases that had been reloaded one too many times or were otherwise neglected. The other nine looked OK...but she needed more than that. He began rummaging around in drawers and boxes on the shelves....getting lucky and finding a half-full box of 10mm cartridges that looked good and another N99 magazine. 

"Here's how you load the magazine, Corrine", Steve said as he demonstrated by loading one magazine with twelve rounds. he then handed her the other magazine and pushed the box, now with only thirteen rounds in it, towards her. "now you load this one." Once she had loaded it, he demonstrated how to operate the safety, then loaded one of the magazines into the butt and racked the slide, chambering a round, and engaged the safety. He then handed the pistol to her butt first. 

"It's loaded now", Steve said, "You have twelve shots, once the last one is fired, the slide will lock back and you remove the empty magazine and insert another like I showed you. Make sure you put the empty magazine in your pocket so you don't lose it...you can reload it later. To fire, disengage the safety. With the safety off, it will fire if you pull the trigger, so watch where you point it." He then handed her the other magazine. "Unless you can open up one of these cans, that is all the rounds you have...don't waste them."

"A few questions", Steve said, "Is there a pre-war military base on this island? I've noticed a lot of stuff that has US Government markings on them, usually that stuff only turns up if there is some sort of military facility in the area."

"Secondly", Steve continued, "Back in the Last Plank, Rose said something about meeting a "Enclave Bastard".....any idea who she meant by that?"

"Also", Steve concluded, "I've got an idea about rigging that boiler they're using to cook Mirelurks to spray scalding water on those giant critters you mentioned.....nothing that can feel pain will stand still for that...who would we talk to about getting permission, not to mention the tools, to do that?"